I disagree that the competition always comes at a cost. Many European airlines tend to have a better reputation in the flying community than the major American

I disagree that the competition always comes at a cost. Many European airlines tend to have a better reputation in the flying community than the major American carriers, and I have no doubt they provide more worker's rights than are the norm in the US. The same can be said for the top-notch Asian carriers, which to be fair also tend to have a lower cost of living and likely pay as a result.